Tomas Andriusonis lives outside Amsterdam and has never worked in kitchen or bathroom renovation. But on November 6, 2023, someone registered a company called “Andriusonis Kitchen & Bath” under his name with California’s Secretary of State. The address listed was a private home in North Hills, a Los Angeles suburb. The residents knew nothing about the company.
Andriusonis learned about the shell company when Bank of America sued him for $45,000 — money withdrawn on loans he never took.
His case is not isolated. A CBS News California Investigates report published March 11 found more than 800 fraudulent business registrations filed in California in 2025, all part of an identity theft scheme targeting legal immigrants.
How the Scheme Works
David Maimon, a fraud specialist at SentiLink, identified the pattern. Scammers use data from immigrants who came to the U.S. on student or work visas, then returned home. These people live abroad and don’t check their American credit reports. According to Maimon, such identities are “gold” for fraudsters — victims discover the problem months or years later.
A company registered under someone else’s name gives scammers access to business credit lines with high limits. Consumer credit typically involves thousands of dollars. Business credit can reach tens of thousands.
One victim was a former Penn State student now living in Thailand. Scammers registered a construction company in Van Nuys under her name. She discovered 30 fraudulent accounts totaling thousands of dollars. Her credit score plummeted from 800 to 419.
Registration: $70 and No Verification
California’s business registration process is extremely simple. Applicants provide a company name, list participants and pay a fee. For an LLC, the cost is $70. No identity verification, no address confirmation.
CBS journalists tested the system by registering a company called “Fake Business, LLC” through the Secretary of State website. The process took minutes. No one asked questions.
Secretary of State Shirley Weber declined to be interviewed. A spokesperson said state law requires the office only to “accept and register” applications — the agency is not obligated to verify business legitimacy. The spokesperson said fraud detection procedures exist but would not discuss details.
Sergeant Peter Hish from the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department cybercrime unit confirmed the problem’s scale. His unit alone handled 25,000 identity theft cases last year.
Spot Check Results
CBS journalists randomly verified more than ten suspicious registrations from the Secretary of State database. They included construction companies, elder care centers, nail salons and pharmacies. None of the checked businesses proved real. All listed addresses were private homes or apartments. One small Glendale apartment served as the registered address for three different businesses.
The apartment resident received mail for months addressed to the non-existent “YJ Pharmacy.” According to Maimon, she represents one of many collateral victims of the scheme.
Bay Area Impact
The CBS investigation focused on Southern California, where the 800 suspicious registrations were discovered. But the business registration system is statewide. Any Bay Area resident who has ever applied for a visa, green card or Social Security number could become a target.
According to FTC data, the U.S. received 135,575 identity theft complaints in the first three quarters of 2025 — nearly matching the full 2024 total. The Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim metropolitan area ranks sixth nationally for such cases. The FTC does not separately track San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara data, but the Better Business Bureau in San Jose previously reported 10-15 identity theft complaints weekly.
What to Do
Checking whether a company is registered under your name costs nothing. The Secretary of State California website (bizfile.sos.ca.gov) includes a Free Business Search section. Enter your last name. If results show a company you didn’t register, contact police and credit bureaus immediately.
The Secretary of State recommends checking the registry at least annually. If fraudulent registration is discovered, obtain a certified copy of the fraudulent document as evidence, then file updated information with correct details.
Governor Gavin Newsom declined to comment on the CBS investigation findings.